Input device, display apparatus and terminal apparatus

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an input device includes the following elements. The flexible touch panel includes a sensor area. The touch position detector detects a touch position on the sensor area to generate a detection signal. The deformation position detector detects a deformation position where a deformation amount is not less than a threshold on the sensor area. The input rejection area determination unit determines, based on the deformation position, an input rejection area. The input signal generator fails to output the detection signal as an input signal if the touch position is detected in the input rejection area, and outputs the detection signal as an input signal if the touch position is detected in an area other than the input rejection area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An input device comprising:
 a flexible touch panel including a sensor area which is to be touched by an object;   a touch position detector which detects a touch position on the sensor area to generate a detection signal;   a deformation position detector which detects a deformation position where a deformation amount is not less than a threshold on the sensor area;   an input rejection area determination unit which determines, based on the deformation position, an input rejection area where an input is rejected on the sensor area; and   an input signal generator which processes the detection signal based on the touch position detected by the touch position detector and the input rejection area determined by the input rejection area determination unit, wherein the input signal generator fails to output the detection signal as an input signal if the touch position is detected in the input rejection area, and outputs the detection signal as an input signal if the touch position is detected in an area other than the input rejection area.   
     
     
         2 . The input device according to  claim 1 , wherein the deformation position detector comprises:
 a bending sensor which generates sensor signals in accordance with deformation amounts at positions on the touch panel; and   a large curvature position detector which calculates curvatures at the positions on the touch panel and detects, as the deformation position, a position whose curvature is not less than a curvature threshold.   
     
     
         3 . The input device according to  claim 2 , wherein the bending sensor is arranged along at least part of an outer periphery of the sensor area. 
     
     
         4 . The input device according to  claim 1 , wherein the input rejection area determination unit determines, as the input rejection area, an area including a position having a largest deformation amount in the sensor area, the largest deformation amount being not less than the threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The input device according to  claim 1 , wherein the input rejection area determination unit changes a shape of the input rejection area in accordance with where on the touch panel the deformation position is detected. 
     
     
         6 . The input device according to  claim 2 , wherein the deformation position detector detects a radius of curvature as the deformation amount and detects an area where the radius of curvature is 50 mm or less as the deformation position. 
     
     
         7 . The input device according to  claim 2 , wherein the deformation position detector detects a radius of curvature as the deformation amount and detects, as the deformation position, an area where the radius of curvature is not more than a threshold, the threshold being determined based on a weight and a thickness of the input device. 
     
     
         8 . The input device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an input rejection area learning unit which learns how to determine the input rejection area, based on the touch position detected by the touch position detector and the input rejection area determined by the input rejection area determination unit. 
     
     
         9 . The input device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an exceptional operation determination unit which determines whether a user operation corresponding to the detection signal is an exceptional operation,
 wherein, even where the input rejection area of the sensor area is touched, the input signal generator processes the detection signal determined to be the exceptional operation by the exceptional operation determination unit to generate the input signal.   
     
     
         10 . A display apparatus comprising:
 the input device according to  claim 1 ; and   a display panel including a display screen opposed to the touch panel of the input device.   
     
     
         11 . The display apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising an image signal generator which generates an image signal, wherein the image signal generator generates the image signal such that an image is displayed on the display screen, except on the input rejection area. 
     
     
         12 . The display apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the image signal generator generates the image signal based on the input signal generated by the input signal generator. 
     
     
         13 . A terminal apparatus comprising the input device according to  claim 1 .